Two people were killed, and a third critically injured in a series of stabbing attacks across Manhattan on Monday, according to New York police. Authorities have arrested a 51-year-old suspect in connection with the “unprovoked” incidents, which occurred at three different locations.
The two male victims were transported to a local hospital but succumbed to their injuries. The third victim, a 36-year-old woman, was stabbed near the United Nations headquarters and remains in critical condition, police said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams identified the suspect as a homeless man with a recent criminal sentence. “Three New Yorkers. Unprovoked attacks that left us searching for answers on how something like this could happen,” Adams stated during a news conference. He criticized the criminal justice system, calling the incident “a clear, clear example” of systemic failures.
The NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny confirmed that the stabbings appear to lack any clear motive.
“As of right now, these attacks seem to be unprovoked, that he just walked up to them and began to attack them with the knives,” Kenny said.
The first victim, a 26-year-old construction worker, was attacked near his job site. The second, a 68-year-old man, was stabbed while fishing in the East River. Nearly two hours later, the third victim was attacked outside the UN headquarters.
A nearby taxi driver witnessed the final attack and alerted police, leading to the suspect’s arrest. Photos of two knives recovered at the crime scenes were shared by the NYPD.
None of the victims have yet been identified publicly.
